#6
Ha-min couldn’t continue speaking after hearing the shocking news and just stared at Tae-in with a face full of concern.
“That’s why I wanted to go on a trip with you before leaving, but your hyung always got in the way.”
“Ah… he probably didn’t know about that…”
“How wouldn’t he know?”
“Huh?”
“There’s no way he wouldn’t know. It’s a family matter. My parents even scolded him a lot because of me.”
“…He knew?”
“Yes. That’s why it’s even more frustrating that he kept interfering while knowing.”
Tae-in grumbled, furrowing his brow as if just thinking about it annoyed him.
“Anyway, your hyung is strange. He’s too obsessed with you, I’m telling you. Does it make sense that you can’t even hang out with your friends?”
Ha-min couldn’t speak, his face somewhat shocked. He couldn’t understand why Tae-rim hadn’t said a word about Tae-in leaving Korea even though he knew, and why he had opposed everything so adamantly.
He shouldn’t feel this way, but somehow he thought his hyung was being a bit too much. Both for purposely not telling him and for being so strict despite knowing.
Ha-min tilted his glass with a somewhat gloomy face. And it wasn’t just any friend, but Tae-in. Moreover, Ha-min believed that being able to reconnect with his hyung and maintain their relationship was only possible because of Tae-in’s help. Tae-in had always calmly accepted both his feelings for his hyung and the things he had been hiding, and even blamed himself for not understanding.
Ha-min sighed deeply and emptied his glass of alcohol. Perhaps his friends were right. The thought made him feel bitter.
**
Emptying several glasses in succession due to his depressed mood, the alcohol quickly took effect, and Ha-min went outside for some fresh air.
He never thought his time dating his hyung was entirely smooth. There were many moments when he acutely felt how different they were while being together, and occasionally there were several incomprehensible things like today, but his current relationship with him was precious enough that none of that mattered. But today…
Ha-min rubbed his face, still feeling complicated. Somehow, his feelings were mixed and subtle.
“What are you doing alone?”
As he sat quietly on a nearby bench to enjoy the cold breeze, he heard Tae-in’s voice from behind him. In his hand were a cigarette pack and a lighter. Ha-min looked at Tae-in with wide eyes.
“…You… you… smoke?”
He had never seen Tae-in smoking before. When he asked, stumbling over his words with a surprised expression, Tae-in let out a short sigh and laughed awkwardly.
“Ah… recently. Just occasionally when drinking.”
“…You’re crazy. Drinking is one thing, but smoking is different.”
Ha-min was shocked and took the cigarette from his hand. Despite his improved health, thinking about the past, it was unthinkable.
“I really only smoke once in a while.”
“Even so…”
He was so taken aback that he couldn’t speak. His parents would be horrified if they saw.
“You can’t smoke, Tae-in.”
Ha-min looked at Tae-in with a genuinely worried face. No matter how successful the surgery was, no matter how good the results were, considering his previous illness, harmful substances like these shouldn’t even be dreamed of. Ha-min shook his head firmly and hid the cigarette behind his back.
“…Working in this field, I ended up learning it naturally.”
Tae-in continued, seemingly embarrassed by Ha-min’s serious concern.
“But I didn’t expect you to get this angry.”
“…I’m not angry…”
“I know, you’re just worried.”
“…Yeah. But even so, smoking is too much.”
Ha-min was unusually firm. Then he put the cigarette in his pants pocket as if he would never give it back.
“Alright, I won’t smoke. You sound like my mom for a second?”
“This isn’t a joke, really.”
“…I said I understand.”
“I can’t tell you what to do… but still, always be careful. You know…”
Ha-min emphasized while looking at Tae-in with affection. Tae-in, who had been subdued, nodded but then let out a faint laugh. Ha-min narrowed his eyes questioningly at the sudden laughter.
“As expected, Song Ha-min is the only one who worries about me.”
As if that fact made him happy, Tae-in, who had been sulking, smiled brightly and put his arm around Ha-min’s shoulder.
“…There are many others besides me.”
“I know. But you’re the only one who told me not to smoke.”
“That’s because I’m the only one who properly knows you were sick.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Tae-in leaned toward Ha-min with his arm still resting on him. Then, feeling the breeze together, he continued.
“I’ll keep in touch often even after going to America.”
At the voice tinged with bitterness, Ha-min quietly looked at Tae-in with a quickly darkened expression.
“Aren’t you coming to America with your hyung after graduation anyway?”
Although he had discussed such things with Tae-rim occasionally, it wasn’t a realistic plan. Even if he went to America right after graduation, employment wasn’t guaranteed, and since his parents were in Korea, they had discussed several times about planning more slowly for settling in America.
“…I can’t go right away…”
“Really? That’s too bad.”
Tae-in smacked his lips regretfully and looked up at the night sky while leaning against him. Perhaps because of the weather or the darkened sky, the atmosphere became emotional, and Tae-in suddenly spoke again.
“Tell me if your hyung gives you a hard time.”
“…You’re no match for my hyung.”
“Hey! I’m not that bad, you know?”
When Tae-in immediately retorted, Ha-min let out a faint laugh. Tae-in laughed along but glanced at Ha-min with inwardly worried eyes.
“I just sometimes wonder if your hyung is controlling you too much according to his whims.”
“…”
“As his brother, I know best. He has some strange aspects to his personality.”
When they said they were dating, he supported it solely because of Ha-min, not because of his brother. As his brother, he knew best that Lee Tae-rim had somewhat cold and unpleasant traits. Of course, he also knew that he was devoted to Ha-min and loved him to death, but sometimes it felt like Ha-min was living under his thumb. It was inevitable since Ha-min was so soft-hearted and was such a devoted lover who would do anything for Tae-rim, but as a friend, he was worried.
“He’s not like that with me…”
“Then that’s good.”
Tae-rim didn’t usually act badly, but today’s incident was still disappointing. No, it was a bit upsetting. It seemed too much that he pretended not to know about Tae-in’s departure to America while actually knowing, and his firmness in not allowing time with Tae-in.
“You should have told me earlier.”
“If I had told you, would we have gone on a trip together?”
“…I would have talked to hyung better…”
“Come on. That guy is so stubborn.”
Once he says no, it’s a definite no.
Tae-in frowned and waved his hand. Frustrated by his inability to give a firm answer, Ha-min spoke quietly in a dejected voice.
“…I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
At Tae-in’s words telling him not to say unnecessary things, Ha-min, after contemplating, spoke firmly with a resolute face.
“Let’s go on a trip.”
“What?”
“Let’s go. All of us together.”
Tae-in burst out laughing at Ha-min, who spoke gravely as if he had made up his mind.
“Hey, why so serious?”
“Let’s go.”
“What about your hyung?”
“…”
Come to think of it, it was embarrassing that everyone was worrying about his hyung just for going on a trip with friends.
“…I’ll talk to him, I will.”
Although he wondered if he had spoken impulsively out of frustration, Ha-min himself wanted to go. As he thought that it would be difficult to play like this and go on trips in the future, his determination to go became stronger.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Awesome!”
When Ha-min answered with his eyes wide open, Tae-in excitedly hugged the shoulder he had been resting his arm on.
“Hey, no cancellations, okay?”
“…Alright. Let’s go with Eun-soo and Chae-rin… ah, and Woo-kyung too.”
“Okay. It’s a deal.”
Seeing Tae-in grinning happily, Ha-min couldn’t help but smile too. Could he be that happy? I should have gone with him earlier if he was going to be this happy. Just as he was thinking that, a car speeding down the road headed toward where he and Tae-in were standing, rather than toward the underground parking garage.
“What, what is that?”
Tae-in must have noticed it too, as he urgently grabbed Ha-min’s arm in surprise at the approaching vehicle.
“Hey, hey, watch out…!”
Screeech—!
As Tae-in stepped back in alarm, the car stopped precisely in front of him. Ha-min was too shocked to dodge. He knew this vehicle well. He knew too well whose it was, so it didn’t occur to him to avoid it. But of course, being surprised was a separate matter.
“What kind of bastard drives like that?!”
When Tae-in, who almost fell over in shock, shouted loudly, a shadowy figure was visible beyond the stopped vehicle. Soon the driver’s door opened, and a familiar figure emerged.
“…Hah.”
The man who got out of the driver’s seat sighed deeply and roughly ran his hand through his hair. Ha-min instinctively felt it.
“…Ha-min.”
That his hyung was in a very bad mood.
“What the hell, Lee Tae-rim?!”
Tae-in, recognizing the car owner, shouted with an astonished face.
“What kind of driving is this…!”
“Ha-min.”
Tae-rim treated Tae-in like he was invisible and slowly approached Ha-min. Ha-min was surprised not because the car owner was his hyung, but because he knew Ha-min was here and came looking for him. Since his phone had been taken by Tae-in and he couldn’t contact anyone, there was no way his hyung could have known he was here.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
